This invention relates to a wire harness protector that facilitates the mounting of wire harnesses into vehicle applications.
Wires harnesses are utilized in many vehicle applications to route a plurality of wires between various locations. Typically, wire harnesses have required complex assembly steps to position the wires at different locations and provide communication to and from various electrical components. This has sometimes resulted in undesirable buzz, squeak and rattle conditions.
Typically, wire harnesses have been snapped to vehicle trim panels after the assembly of the wire harness. This has proven somewhat complex, as the trim panel must be formed with wire harness holding structure. The wire harness is assembled at a distinct location shipped to the trim manufacturer, and then mounted to the trim panel.
It has sometimes been difficult to route wire harnesses, hoses, tubing, cables, or other routed parts at various locations within a vehicle, and yet still protect the parts. One example would be in the vehicle floorboard. The wire harness must typically extend beneath the carpet, and still be protected from damage caused by people walking on the carpet.
The present invention provides a simple apparatus that facilitates the mounting of wire harnesses to vehicle, and also protects the wire harnesses in many challenging environments.
The present invention concerns a wire harness protector for receiving a plurality of wires in a central aperture. A slot extends to the aperture from an outer surface of the protector body. The slot allows passage of a plurality of wires into the aperture when the slot is biased to an open position. However, the slot is normally biased to a closed position in a relaxed state that prevents movement of the wire harness out of the aperture. Thus, the wire harness protector may be utilized to receive a plurality of wires, and hold the wires. The wire harness protector protects the wire harness once the wire harness is received within the aperture.
The wire harness protector is preferably generally trapezoidal in cross section, with a smaller surface adjacent to the slot and a larger opposed surface. In One embodiment, the aperture has a major diameter and a minor diameter with the major diameter being greater than the minor diameter. Preferably, the major diameter extends perpendicular to the slot. This embodiment is particularly useful in reducing the height of a wire harness, as would be desirable when there is less available distance in one direction than there is in an opposed direction. In a sense, the aperture flattens the wire harness to better use available space.
In another feature of the present invention, the wire harness protector facilitates the attachment of the wire harness to trim panels. As an example, the wire harness protector may be provided with double-sided tape on one surface that secures the protector to the trim panel. The wire harness is secured to the protector, and thus is attached to the trim panel.
In one method according to this invention, the wire harness is assembled by moving the wires through the slot in the wire harness protector and into the aperture. Once the wire harness has been assembled into the wire harness protector, the assembly is then placed upon the trim panel. In this way, the separate steps of assembling the wire harness and then attaching the wire harness to the trim panel may be reduced.
In an alternative embodiment, the wire harness protector is secured to the trim panel, and a preassembled wire harness is then inserted through the slot and into the aperture. In a third possible embodiment, the wires could be individually assembled onto the trim panel after the protectors have been attached to the trim panel.
In another feature of this invention, a vehicle floorboard is provided with ditches to route wire harnesses, hoses, tubing, cables, or other routed parts between two locations. The ditches also preferably receive the wire harness connector with the wire harness retained in the central aperture. Preferably, the wire harness protector is positioned within the ditch such that the bottom wall of the ditch closes off the slot, thus preventing the wire harness from moving outwardly of the slot. The trapezoid shape allows positive routing with no variance in the direction that is perpendicular to the ditch. The soft covering suppresses buzz, squeak and rattle problems. Routing beneath the surface provides a safe environment, preventing damage to wiring from trim screws, seat mounts and other attaching hardware.
In other features of this invention, a secondary aperture and secondary slot are formed in the wire harness protector. This proves particularly valuable when an aftermarket wire is to be inserted into the vehicle. As an example, in the above-discussed embodiment wherein the wire harness is mounted into a vehicle floorboard, it may sometimes be necessary to mount additional wires such as when adding additional speakers, remote CD changer, or trailer tow by the original equipment manufacturer, dealership or vehicle owner. The secondary apertures are easily accessible to the assembler, and facilitate receipt and protection of the aftermarket wires for this additional wiring and function.